ムヘンリー郡の湖・トップ5

Hikers can wander woodsy trails or connect to the McHenry County Prairie Trail during outings in Sterne’s Fen Nature Preserve. Since gaining Illinois Nature Preserve status in 1994, the site’s rugged timber trails have offered hiking, biking and even fall wagon rides amid protected wilderness barely beyond the city limits.

Moraine Hills State Park is made up of a collection of paved, dirt, and rocky trails passing by lakes and next to a river. With a few different parking areas, trailheads, restrooms, and picnic areas, the park can be explored from different starting points and passes through a bunch of different types of natural environments.

The McHenry County Prairie Trail (MCPT) goes through and skirts around Sterne's Fen Nature Reserve. It is a beautiful retreat back to nature with good walking and mountain biking trails. You can still manage the ride through on your touring bike and it is a lovely and beautiful forest area.

Neatly tucked away in the far northeastern corner of McHenry County is this gem of a 521 acre preservation area. It is a conservation area that has biologically rich ecosystems such as the 125-acre wetland complex, the rather large 282-acre Genoa City Wetlands and the 'Barrens,' which is a Bur oak dominated savanna. It also has the 1.5 mile section of the North Branch of Nippersink Creek. With all these diverse ecosystems it is no surprise that the site is teeming with wildlife and an excellent place to view grassland birds.

Runners can wander woodsy trails or connect to the McHenry County Prairie Trail during outings in Sterne’s Fen Nature Preserve. Since gaining Illinois Nature Preserve status in 1994, the site’s rugged timber trails have offered hiking, biking and even fall wagon rides amid protected wilderness barely beyond the city limits.

Moraine Hills State Park is made up of a collection of paved, dirt, and rocky trails passing by lakes and next to a river. With a few different parking areas, trailheads, restrooms, and picnic areas, the park can be explored from different starting points and passes through a bunch of different types of natural environments.

This area was once an abandoned quarry. In the late 90s, Crystal Lake city began transforming it into a natural area. The revived habitats are now home to an array of wildlife. Today, you can rent row, sail and paddle boats, canoes and kayaks to get out on the water. Scubadiving is available too!